
charges, mines, and other explosives. Later that same day she was
torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-17 as she left the
English Channel. All her forty crew were killed.
William is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent; on
the Abingdon War Memorial; and in St. Lawrence's church, North
Hinksey.
Sadly this was not the only loss for the extended family. His wife’s
cousin Private Thomas Frederick Barson died in March 1917 and is
buried in Botley cemetery. And later, in the Second World War,
Thomas’s nephew, Private William John Barson (of North Hinksey
Village), died in November 1942 of dysentery and beriberi in a
Japanese Prisoner of War camp. He is buried in Malaysia.
So we return to my question: how can we remember so many? Perhaps
after today’s service, you might wander among the gravestones, pick
one at random, and search for his name and service number. If you’re
lucky you will find a sentence or two about him. The local library offers
online access to other resources that you can use to find out more
about his family history. You will all know the line we recite every year at
this service: We will remember them. Here is one way that we can.”
Kevin’s address struck a particular chord with me, because the deeds to
my house include some from 1896 when Thomas Barson was living
there in Old Botley with his wife Priscilla and his family. I asked Kevin
what relation Alice or Thomas might have been, and he got back to say:
Thomas Frederick Barson married Emily Flora Amanda Kitchen of 4 Old
Botley in 1914. [4 Old Botley is the first house from the top of North Hinksey
Lane after RABI headquarters]
William George Barson was the son of Matthew
and Harriet Barson of Home Lea, Old Botley,
and was born in December 1898.
In 1939, Benjamin and Nellie, parents of William
James Barson, (died at sea in the Far East in
1943), were at 5 Old Botley (opposite No 4).
Thanks, Kevin, for opening a window on a little
part of local history. It did make me go back
and search out Tom Barson’s grave. Barson
was such a common name in Old Botley. Are
any of his relations still living in the parish? If
you’d like to know more about ‘The War Dead
of North Hinksey’ that’s the title of Kevin’s book, and you can buy it on
Amazon. Ag MacKeith